Umunna: Tuition fees should be capped at £6k
Shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna comments on news that tuition fees will fall by just 0.5% in 2012:
"The government should implement Labour's proposal to cut the fee cap to £6,000, paid for by reversing the government's corporation tax cut for the banks and some additional payments by the wealthiest graduates.
"None of the chaos around access changes and cutting courses – which universities now have to bid for – would then be needed.
"Labour's proposal would maintain funding for universities but avoid harm to families and graduates from the government's plans.
"Today's announcement shows the chaos at the heart of this out-of-touch higher education policy.
"A number of universities can now change their access agreements after applications for 2012 have already opened.
"This ever more complex and bureaucratic system is making life difficult for universities and students, and distracting institutions from providing the world class teaching and the excellent research for which our higher education sector is known."
